Knock down container

ABSTRACT

The knock-down container has a number of panels each having a margin which extends inward from an outer edge. Each margin has an elongated groove formed therein. A number of elongated couplings interconnects adjacent panels. Each coupling has at least one central wall and a pair of spaced apart inner and outer walls extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central wall. The central wall is disposed between the edges of adjacent panels. Each pair of inner and outer walls define an elongated recess for receipt of one edge and the adjacent margin of one of the adjacent panels. The coupling further has a hook or barb at an end of one of the outer wall and the inner wall. The barb extends into the groove of whichever panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect the adjacent panels and the coupling.

[0001] This invention relates to knock-down containers and moreparticularly to knock-down containers composed of material which isstrong enough for shipping breakable or fragile articles but which,while reusable, is cheap enough to discard should the circumstances notwarrant its re-usage.

[0002] Articles such as furniture, televisions, V.C.R.'s and the likeare conventionally shipped in cardboard containers. The containers aredestroyed when the articles are unpacked and the cardboard is discardedor recycled for reuse in another form.

[0003] I have invented a knockdown container that can be dismantledafter use and returned in compact form to its owner for reuse. Thecontainer is composed of material which is relatively strong but cheapsuch as low grade plywood so that the initial cost of the container isrelatively low. In view of its cost, the container can be discardedafter use should it not be feasible to reuse the container.

[0004] Briefly, the knock-down container of the invention comprises aplurality of panels each having oppositely facing interior and exteriorwalls and a margin terminating at an edge. Each margin has an elongatedgroove formed therein. A number of elongated couplings interconnectsadjacent panels. Each coupling has at least one central wall and a pairof spaced apart inner and outer walls extending outwardly from oppositesides of the central wall. The central wall is disposed between theedges of adjacent panels. Each pair of inner and outer walls define anelongated recess for receipt of one edge and the adjacent margin of oneof the adjacent panels. The coupling further has a barb at an end of oneof the outer wall and the inner wall. The barb extends into the grooveof whichever panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect theadjacent panels and the coupling.

[0005] The knock-down container of the invention is described withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container in the absence ofits top panel;

[0007]FIG. 2 is an elevation of one panel of the container inconjunction with couplings for interconnecting adjacent panels;

[0008]FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, in enlarged scale;

[0009]FIG. 4 is a section of a second embodiment of the coupling of theinvention, shown closed in conjunction with portions of panels;

[0010]FIG. 5 is a section of the coupling of FIG. 4 shown open;

[0011]FIG. 6 is a section of a third embodiment of the coupling of theinvention in conjunction with portions of panels; and

[0012]FIG. 7 is a section of a fourth embodiment of the coupling.

[0013] Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout thedescription of the drawings.

[0014] With reference to FIG. 1, the knock-down container, generally 10,comprises a bottom panel 12, front and back panels 14, 16 and sidepanels 18, 20. The container also includes a top panel which is notillustrated in the Figure.

[0015] There is a coupling 24 at each corner of the container. Thecouplings serve to removably interconnect the panels at the corners ofthe container.

[0016] The panels are all of the same construction and only one will bedescribed in detail, that one being front panel 14. With reference toFIG. 2, front panel 14 has a central area 30 and a margin 32 adjacent toeach of its four edges 34. An elongated groove 36 is formed in eachmargin. The groove extends parallel to and spaced apart from the edgewhich delimits the margin. Thus, for example, groove 36 a is parallel toand spaced apart from edge 34 a which delimits the margin 32 a in whichthe groove is formed.

[0017] The couplings illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are all of the sameconstruction and only one is described. The one described is coupling 24a identified in FIG. 1. That coupling is illustrated in detail in FIG. 3and with reference to that Figure, coupling 24 a has a central wall 40which extends from corner 41 of the coupling and terminates at a pair ofinner walls 44, 48. A pair of outer walls 42, 46 extend outwardly fromcorner 41 and are disposed on opposite sides of the central wall.

[0018] Inner and outer walls 42, 44 on one side of the central wall aredisposed at right angles to inner and outer walls 46, 48 on the oppositeside of the central wall. Thus the angle between outer walls 42 and 46,indicated 50, is 90 degrees. The angle between the central wall and theinner and outer walls of each pair on each side of the central wallindicated 52 is 45 degrees.

[0019] Inner and outer walls 44, 42 define a recess 54 for receipt ofthe margin and edge of panel 18 while outer and inner walls 46, 48define a like recess for panel 14.

[0020] A barb or hook 60 is formed at the distal end of outer wall 42.The barb extends inwardly into recess 54 while a like barb 62 is formedat the same place on outer wall 46. The letter barb extends into theother recess and is removably received in groove 36 b of panel 14 whilethe former barb is received in the groove formed in the margin of panel18 located within recess 54. Each barb has a bevelled outer face 60 aand a relatively flat inner face 60 b. Both faces extend outwardly fromthe outer wall and intersect at an edge 60 c.

[0021] The container of the invention may be dismantled from theposition illustrated in FIG. 1 by prying the barbs of each coupling outof the grooves in which they are received. The panels may then beremoved from the recesses of the couplings.

[0022] Reassembly of the container involves reinserting the panels intothe recesses of the couplings. Preferably the couplings are composed ofresiliently deformable material such as flexible polymeric material sothat as the panels are inserted into the recesses, the panels contactthe barbs and cause the walls to which they are attached to deformresiliently outward to allow the panels to be inserted fully into therecesses. When the barbs reach the grooves in the panels, the side wallssnap inward to their undeformed state and the barbs enter the groovesand lock the couplings to the panels. The bevelled and flat faces 60 a,bof the barb cooperate to ensure that the panels are easy to insert intothe recesses but once in cannot be removed unless they are pried. Ascrew driver is suitable for this purpose.

[0023] With reference to FIG. 4, the coupling is generally U-shaped andis composed of parallel outer walls 72 and a web 74 which extendsbetween those walls.

[0024] A pair of central and inner walls 76, 78 is spaced apart from theouter walls. The recesses 80, 82 between each inner and outer wallreceives the margins and edges of a pair of panels. A barb 84 isattached to each outer wall and extends inwardly therefrom. Each barb isremovably received in the groove formed in the two panels.

[0025] The web is substantially rigid except for a central area 86 whichis flexible so that the coupling can be folded about the central areafrom a closed position illustrated in FIG. 4 to an open position asillustrated in FIG. 5. In the open position, the less flexible portionsof the web contact each other and the two outer walls are in alignment.When so aligned the inner and outer faces of panels 90, 92 will beco-planar.

[0026] The coupling illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 serve to interconnecttwo panels which make up one wall of the container. The couplingillustrated in FIG. 6 also does so. With reference to FIG. 6, the outerwalls 94, 95 of the coupling are integral with each other and a barb 96is formed at each end to interconnect the coupling with two side by sidepanels.

[0027] Between the central walls 97 and inner walls 98 is a pair ofspaced intermediate walls 100, 102 which define a recess 104 for a panel106. Panel 106 can be used as a shelf or spacer within the container.

[0028] One of the intermediate walls has a barb 110 to secure the shelfor spacer to the coupling.

[0029] With reference to FIG. 7, the coupling is the same as thatillustrated in FIG. 6 except that the coupling lacks intermediate walls.The coupling of FIG. 7 is an economical device for interconnecting twopanels of the same wall.

[0030] It will be understood of course that modifications can be made inthe structure of the container illustrated and described herein withoutdeparting from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:
 1. A knock-down container comprising: a plurality of panelseach having oppositely facing interior and exterior walls and a marginterminating at an edge, each said margin having an elongated grooveformed therein; a plurality of elongated couplings for interconnectingadjacent said panels, each said coupling having at least one centralwall and a pair of spaced apart inner and outer walls extendingoutwardly from opposite sides of said central wall, said central wallbeing disposed between the edges of adjacent said panels, each said pairof inner and outer walls defining an elongated recess for receipt of onesaid edge and the adjacent said margin of one of said adjacent panels,said coupling further having a barb at an end of one of said outer walland said inner wall said barb extending into the groove of whicheversaid panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect said adjacentpanels with said coupling.
 2. The container as claimed in claim 1wherein said coupling has one only said central wall which terminates ata pair of said inner walls, each said outer wall and a respective one ofsaid inner walls defining one said recess.
 3. The container as claimedin claim 2 wherein the outer and inner walls which define each recessare parallel to one another and said outer walls are perpendicular toone another.
 4. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidcoupling has a pair of central walls each having an inner wall whichextends outwardly therefrom, said coupling further having a web whichinterconnects said outer walls, each said outer wall and a respectiveone of said inner walls defining a recess for removable receipt of onesaid panel, said web being rigid save and except for a flexible centralarea such that said web is pivotal from a closed position in which theinterior faces of panels received in said recesses are parallel to oneanother to at open position in which the latter said interior faces arecoplanar.
 5. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said couplinghas a pair of central walls each having an inner wall which extendsoutwardly therefrom, said coupling further having a rigid web whichinterconnects said outer walls, each said outer wall and a respectiveone of said inner walls defining a recess for removable receipt of onesaid panel, the interior faces of panel received in said recesses beingcoplanar.
 6. The container as claimed in claim 5 further including apair of intermediate walls disposed between said central walls, saidintermediate walls defining a recess for receipt of one said panel, theinterior face of the latter said panel being perpendicular to theinterior faces of panels within the recesses defined by said outerwalls.
 7. The container as claimed in claim 6 wherein one of saidintermediate walls has a barb which extends into the groove of whicheversaid panel is adjacent thereto to removably interconnect the latter saidpanel to said coupling.
 8. A coupling for interconnecting adjacentpanels of a knock-down container, each said panel having oppositelyfacing interior and exterior walls and a margin terminating at an edge,each said margin having an elongated groove formed therein, saidcoupling comprising at least one central wall; a pair of spaced apartinner and outer walls extending outwardly from opposite sides of saidcentral wall, said central wall being adapted to be disposed between theedges of adjacent said panels, each said pair of inner and outer wallsdefining an elongated recess for receipt of one said edge and theadjacent said margin of one of said adjacent panels; and a barb at anend of one of said outer wall and said inner wall, said barb extendinginto the groove of whichever said panel is adjacent thereto to removablyinterconnect said adjacent panels with said coupling.
 9. The coupling asclaimed in claim 8 wherein said coupling has one only said central wallwhich terminates at a pair if said inner walls, each said outer wall anda respective one of said inner walls defining one said recess.
 10. Thecoupling as claimed in claim 8 wherein the outer and inner walls whichdefine each recess are parallel to one another and said outer walls areperpendicular to one another.
 11. The coupling as claimed in claim 8wherein said coupling has a pair of central walls each having an innerwall which extends outwardly therefrom, said coupling further having aweb which interconnects said outer walls, each said outer wall and arespective one of said inner walls defining a recess for removablereceipt of one said panel, said web being rigid save and except for aflexible central area such that said web is pivotal from a closedposition in which the interior faces of panels received in said recessesare parallel to one another to an open position in which the latter saidinterior faces are coplanar.
 12. The coupling as claimed in claim 8wherein said coupling has a pair of said central walls each having aninner wall which extends outwardly therefrom, said coupling furtherhaving rigid web which interconnects said outer walls, each said outerwall and a respective one of said inner walls defining a recess forremovable receipt of one said panel, the interior faces of panelsreceived in said recesses being coplanar.
 13. The coupling as claimed inclaim 12 further including a pair of intermediate walls disposed betweensaid central walls, said intermediate walls defining a recess forreceipt of one said panel, the interior face of the latter said panelbeing perpendicular to the interior faces of panels within the recessesdefined by said outer walls.
 14. The coupling as claimed in claim 13wherein one of said intermediate walls has a barb which extends into thegroove of whichever said panel is adjacent thereto to removablyinterconnect the latter said panel to said coupling.